January 26, 2021
Member News


CORE
Don’t Get Scammed by CyberCrime - A Local Example A CORE member firm last week reported that a cyber-scam had almost bilked them out of nearly $400,000. They reported that a home purchaser had requested their deposit back after their check appeared to have cleared online, but fortunately, the broker did more due diligence and discovered that the check was not legitimate. Protect yourself and your clients. The FBI’s Cyber Division recently reported that the number of complaints about cyberattacks is up to as many as 4,000 per day - a 400% increase from what they saw pre-coronavirus. Cybercrime can be devastating to real estate professionals and their clients. The following checklist from NAR offers some best practices to help you curb the risk of cybercrime. 
Read more. 

Continuing Education FAQs To view, click here.

ShowingTime: Monthly Statistics for CORE View report here. 

Dues Reminder 2021 Realtor dues renewals were due by December 31, 2020, and a late fee of $99 will be assessed for dues not paid by January 31, 2021. To pay your dues now, click here. Instructions on how to pay dues online can be found here. For the full timeline, click here. Please note, your username is your NRDS number and your default password is your last name - all lower case. You do not need to reset your password.  

Continuing Education (CE)

Did you Know You Can Track Your Continuing Education (CE) Credits? Log into the PSI Online CE Tracking System and track all your CE Credits online. Issues logging in or viewing your credits? Contact PSI directly here.

Local

Mercer County: Got COVID-19 Vaccine Questions? Get answers at a virtual Q&A session on Thursday, January 28 at 6 pm with medical experts and community leaders. 

Somerset County: New Call Center Residents can now contact the new hotline with questions about COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. Call 908) 231-7155 on Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 8:00 pm or Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

MLS

Bright
  • Alerts and Notifications on the new Bright make it easier for you to take on your most important tasks first. Try it now at new.brightmls.com!

GSMLS
  • Sold Listing Photos Reminder Beginning January 28, authorized listing photos will start being included in the GSMLS IDX Sold Listing Feed. Here is what you need to know:
  1. If the default choice of authorizing the inclusion of the Primary Image Only (the first image only) from each of your existing sold listings (provided they were included in the IDX Program when active) in the IDX Program is acceptable, you do not need to do anything further.
  2. However, if you want to change your default authorization (to select all, some, or none of the images from each of your existing sold listings), you should do so before January 28. Note: You will be able to revise your authorizations after that date, but it may take time for IDX Displays to reflect those revisions.

  • ShowingTime Tip If you are using ShowingTime and have listed a property with more than just GSMLS, ShowingTime can make your life easier. Their Merge feature allows you to view and manage listing activity and feedback from a single page. Merging enables the calendars to synchronize, helping you avoid overlapping appointments, displaying incorrect time slots, etc. ShowingTime provides detailed instructions on how to merge your listings along with a video.

  • New Phone System GSMLS is in the process of upgrading its phone service. During the transition period, you may see calls from GSMLS showing up in Caller ID as (973) 500-6846. Today, most of the tech support calls are using the new service so return calls from tech support will have the temporary number display in your caller ID.

Webinars

Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber: 2021 Central NJ Real Estate Forecast Join this virtual gathering of real estate professionals in Central NJ to hear projections for the year ahead, and network with your peers. Member Price $35/Non-Member $45. Thursday, January 28, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Register here. 

National Association of REALTORS (NAR) & Realtors Property Resource (RPR) Webinar Hosted by Crexi Get the tools you need to succeed with NAR, RPR, and Crexi. Wednesday, January 27 at 11:30 am. Register here.

NAR: Commitment to Excellence Boost your marketability and amp up your confidence to best serve clients. Join this free C2EX platform demonstration and earn your C2EX endorsement. Friday, January 29 at 4:30 pm. Register here. 

SCORE Legal Issues for Small Businesses This free webinar will give an understanding of legal business structures and how to navigate them. There are different legal structures you can choose for your business, each with responsibilities and advantages. Wednesday, February 17, from 10 - 11 amRegister here.


Commercial Real Estate

Coming Soon! A New Member Benefit CORE has partnered with CREXi to bring a dynamic commercial property data exchange that includes Mercer, Hunterdon, Somerset-area listings as well as listings nationwide to our commercial real estate members. CORE members will also receive a 35 percent discount on CREXi Pro.
 
Basic access to CREXi's platform is free and allows you to manage your entire transaction process, from listing to closing, in one place by combining an active marketplace that hosts more than $1 trillion in property value, with an array of tools designed to make listing commercial property and land easy. Watch CORE's e-communications for more information about this new member benefit coming soon!

New Jersey

Need Something Notarized Remotely? To find a notary, search through this online directory created by the NJ Treasury. For more information about the NJ law that allows notaries and authorized officials to execute remote notarial acts during the current public health emergency, click here.

NJBIZ: Lawmakers Back Regional Business Reopening Plan Despite Governor Murphy Opposition Lawmakers in both parties are advancing a bill that would force the Governor's administration to roll back COVID-19 restrictions on businesses by region based on the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in that particular area. Read more.


New Jersey's Toll-Free Vaccination Hotline Goes Live The vaccine call center, which will be staffed seven days a week from 8 am to 8 pm, went live January 25. The toll-free number is 855-568-0545. The call center can assist residents with:
  • Registering with the NJ Vaccine Scheduling System (NJVSS)
  • Identifying whether they are currently eligible for a vaccination
  • Identifying vaccination locations
  • General questions about vaccines
To register with NJVSS online, click here.
National

NAR Announces May Legislative Meetings Will Be Held Virtually Registration for the event will open on February 24, and the trade expo will held May 3 to 14. While approximately 9,000 Realtors typically descend on Washington, D.C. for the conference every May, over 28,000 NAR members and real estate professionals participated in the first-ever virtual trade expo last year. Read more.
RISMedia: New Zillow Rental Policy Could Cost Industry ‘Tens of Millions of Dollars’ Agents and brokers who would like their rental listing on Zillow must now do so through Zillow’s Rental Manager, a contract-based service…Read more.

NAR: Existing-home Sales Rose in December, with Sales in 2020 Reaching Their Highest Level Since 2006. Read more.